Life Isn't A Fairytale
by Numbuh 714
Summary: Rachel contemplates her decision and the events that led up to it, all while hurtling through space in her old S.C.A.M.P.E.R. First multi-chapter story, please read and review! TITLE HAS BEEN CHANGED
1. Chapter 1

**I'm in a writing mood lately.**

**I personally don't like the fact that Nigel left for the GKND, but it's interesting to think about how Rachel would have reacted if he didn't come back until Sector V was old.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Codename: Kids Next Door. My first name is not Tom and my surname is definitely not Warburton.**

* * *

_It's for the best. _She reminded herself repeatedly, obsessively. _I had to do it. For all of the Kids Next Door_. She checked the fuel gauge. Looking good. _I mean, nobody would miss me…._ Rachel felt a fresh pang of guilt hit her. _Fanny. Patton. Harvey. Mom. Dad._ But as hard as she tried, she could not think of any other people that would miss her, except maybe the nerds up on Moonbase. But they were only interested in getting the latest "Pick-On-Us-We-Cut-Your-Candy-Pay" rule approved. _Ok. Only 5 people then. It's not a huge sacrifice. Get over it. _Yet her guilty conscience could not stop reminding her of the events that led up to her decision and the reason why she was hurtling through space at just under light speed.

* * *

She had to do a _lot_ that day. An overwhelming work load. The budget needed to be triple-checked, hamster conditions improved, _tons_ of forms to sign. Rachel sighed, putting the to-do list down. She needed assistance. A.S.A.-NOW. Who could she ask for help…? Not Fanny, obviously. Rachel still couldn't puzzle out if she was still Head of Decommissioning or if she was the Global Tactical Officer. A direct questioning would lead to more confusion. Either way it was Rachel who got stuck with more paperwork. Patton…? Nah. It was about to be winter in Antarctica and Numbuh 60 was still in the process of preparing for it. The guy was a freaking penguin. How about…Numbuh 1? He had helped her just the other day, she recollected. And, as far as she knew, he wasn't busy today. Maybe…if he wasn't still mad about her taking him off the cake mission.

Rachel rushed to a nearby communication terminal. Numbuh 1 would help her. And if not…well she wasn't Supreme Leader for nothing. "Computer: Send transmission. Destination: Sector V. "

The computer sparked and groaned before flashing a picture on the screen. "Sector V …here," a voice said. It was Abby, Numbuh 5. The computer let out another groan.

"Numbuh 362 here. I need to speak to Numbuh 1. Is he there?"

"I….hear….-ou Numbuh….62."

"What? I didn't catch that. Hold on." Stupid computer isn't transmitting voices right, she thought. Rachel grabbed a brick and ducked down under the computer to fix it. She dabbled in 2x4 repairs lately. The picture abruptly vanished after a few blows to the terminal by the brick. "Dang it!" Rachel muttered under her breath. She crawled out and glared at it as if it had committed the most heinous crime in all of kid-dom. "Work darn you, work!" Rachel pounded on the thing as if there were no tomorrow. Abby's picture flickered back on to the screen. "Ooh hey! Random pounding works. Oh good, hello Abby!"

"Uhh…what's up commander?"

"Sorry for the bad picture. This computer has been on the fritz lately. Anyway, I need to talk to the Sector Leader. May I?"

Abby coughed uncomfortably into her palm. "You're lookin' at her."

Rachel lifted a brow in confusion. Then she smiled. "Oh I get it! You _were_ the Sector Leader of Sector V, so technically you are a Sector Leader, just not currently! Nice joke. But seriously, can I speak to the current Sector Leader of Sector V?"

"Again, you're lookin' at her."

"What do you mean? Was there a change in power? I must not have gotten the paperwork yet. Never mind, just let Numbuh 1 come to the communicator."

Abby sighed. "Numbuh 1 won't be able to talk to you… ever again."

The blonde frowned. "Is Numbuh 1 still upset about that cake thing? Tell him that it is a _direct_ order to talk to me _right_ now to work this out."

"Numbuh 1 ain't here."

"What? So he's on an unscheduled vacation?"

"…No Numbuh 362, ma'am."

"So just _where _is he?!"

"I cannot tell you."

"Look Numbuh 5. As Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door, I _order_ you to tell me what happened to Numbuh 1 and where on earth he is!" Abby opened her mouth to retort, but Rachel beat her to it. "And before you directly disobey my orders, may I remind you that refusing the _Supreme_ Leader is punishable by decommissioning, depending on the circumstances. I'd say that not telling me what happened to a top operative, possibly gone MIA or AWOL, is punishable by 2 months janitorial work. Hope you like scrubbing toilets."

Abby shut her mouth nervously. Rachel studied her. Abby obviously didn't want to tell her. She was about to drop the whole thing and go back to working when Abby decided to speak. "Fine. Abby hates toilets ever since the Toiletnator flushed a quarter of her candy supply down one anyway. Abby'll meet you up at Moonbase to explain. But we'll need security."

"Fine. End transmission."

* * *

"Are you _sure_ we need _this_ much security?" Rachel was locked inside a room with Abby. The door was heavily chained shut with 20 guards outside, making sure that no one would come in. 10 of those guards were making sure the other 10 guards didn't hear a word that was said inside. For extra measure, the entire room was sound proof and all 20 guards were wearing sound proof head phones. Somehow this method was among the top ten in the KND Security Serial Monthly.

"Hmm…you're right. Abby thinks we don't have enough."

Bewildered, Rachel sat in a nearby chair. "What's this about?" she asked. "And where is Nigel?"

"Nigel ain't comin' back baby."

Rachel shot up out of her seat. "What do you mean he's not coming back?! From where is he not coming back?!"

"Sit back down and let Abby explain." Rachel did so. "You see the Splinter Cell… it's not real- Sit down! It's actually a secret extension of the Kids Next Door. It's called the _Galactic_ Kids Next Door-_Sit_! The whole thing with the cake scavenger hunt was just a test to pick the best operative on the entire planet. Nigel…well Nigel was the lucky operative."

Rachel, who had stood up yet _again_, crashed into the seat and slowly slumped down, shocked by the news. "Whoa…" she muttered. "I knew he was good, but I didn't know he was _that_ good."

"I know," Abby whispered softly, forlornly.

Rachel managed a smile. "So when's he-" Her smile died as realization hit her like a meteor. "D-d-d-did you say he wasn't coming…?" She trailed off, knowing full well what Abby had said.

"He ain't comin' back. He's gotta protect kids _galaxy_-wide." Abby gave a fond little smile. "Numbuh 1's moved on to bigger and better things." Abby clapped a still shocked Rachel on the back. "It gets better. Numbuh 5 promises."

"N-n-no…." said Rachel, although it was barely audible. "N-N-Nigel's still has to help me with my work…"

"Wha?"

Slowly getting up, Rachel spoke. "Numbuh 1 has to help me with my paperwork." She got more confident with every word she spoke. "He needs to report to my office stat."

"But sir, Abby just _told _you-"

"No buts! He needs to have a firm talk to about playing these sort of pranks on people. It could scare them. I mean, if you told all of _my_ friends that I'd have to go out into the galaxy and never come back, why, it'd cause an uproar! No. Get him to my office. Oh, and you have to report with him as well. Honestly." Rachel tut-tutted. "I thought you were better than this Numbuh 5." She walked out of the room, trembling slightly.

* * *

"_WHERE IS HE?!"_ Rachel shouted into her headset. Though she reprimanded herself for making the operative on the other line wince. "I _told_ Numbuh 1 to report to my office _days_ ago! He didn't even show up for Meatball Sandwich Day on Moonbase!"

* * *

"I need Sector V on the double! Send Numbuh 1 over to… He's not there? Find him!"

* * *

"Why do you need an operative transferred into Sector V, Numbuh 2? You guys already have the maximum 5 operatives!"

* * *

"We have more ice-cream left over than expected? But the extra's only enough for one person!"

"Well Numbuh 1-"

"He refused ice-cream pay this month? That's unlike him. He loves the stuff! I mean, _come on_! He doesn't even get brain-freeze! Lucky."

* * *

Rachel shook her head. It had taken an earth-wide search to finally drive into her _thick_ head that Numbuh 1 was gone. Space bound. Protecting aliens. She sighed and flicked on the auto-pilot. She needed to lay down. She had a _long_ trip ahead of her.

* * *

**Author's Note: Will update soon. Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yep. Short chapter here. I don't really have the motivation to do this anymore... but I'll try. Drop a review if you want this story to continue. I promise there'll be at least one more chapter.****  
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* * *

You know that feeling when you're hurtling through space at like a kajillion miles a second and you have_ no_ control of the S.C.A.M.P.E.R?

Yeah. Not pleasant.

Rachel frantically turned the wheel, this way and that, hopelessly trying to steer the out-of-control vehicle. Her mind wouldn't function properly and the only thought playing in her head like a broken record was, _I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die_.

Meanwhile Rachel was dangling off the edge of sanity, the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. had problems of it's own. Asteroids and meteors and random space junk battered it relentlessly and the S.C.A.M.P.E.R.'s metal creaked and groaned under the stress of impact. Not only that, it was on a collision course with some moon of Jupiter.

Rachel had given up almost all hope of survival, and was cowering under the dashboard, at least until her helmet skidded from across the floor to right next to her knees. _362_, it read. If it was even possible, her spirits sank even lower.

_So this is what the great Numbuh 362 had been reduced to_, she thought bitterly. _Where is the kid that would lead armies into Father's mansion, or bravely battle Citi-Zombies?_

Numbuh 362 would have gotten up from under the dashboard. Heck, she wouldn't even have been cowering underneath it. She would have marched over to her helmet, and plopped it on her head. She would have gotten her toolkit and fixed whatever was making the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. go all buggy. The sad truth was, Rachel realized; she was no longer Numbuh 362.

And then the S.C.A.M.P.E.R collided with the face of Jupiter's moon, Thebe.

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**Short chapter is short. The review button likes to be tickled. Don't believe me? Click it and find out**.

**Numbuh 714, over and out.**


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